The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-11-10
THE PRETTY OPERATOR.

HE PRETTY OPERATOR.
When Miss Betsy McKeever tripped
into the telegraph office near Del.
monico's yesterday, she was ten
minutes late and the ink-stained man
who was on duty looked at her re.
proachfully.
I'm orful sorry, Billy" said the girl,
as she whipped off her hat and jacket
and tied on neat little apron; ''but
got looking in tn windows and for
got"
''Oh, amt all tore the back by it,"
answered William, unconsciously
mollifed by the big and beaming
brown eyes, "only I'm goin up TO see
the New Yorks Knocked out by the
Sheecargoes, an it's after 4 now. Oh,
by the way, that yaller-haired dude
was askin' for YOU"
'What'd'e say?" asked the girl, pin
ming the bib of her apron up on her
plump shoulders and peeking into the
mirror, which instantly flashed back
at her pretty face blushing anxiously.
''He asked when you were coming
on and | told him at o'clock and that
you'd stay till midnight. Then he
said, 20, begad, how dem devasta-
tin'ly luviy' an give me two big segars
an ticket for tn theeayter. "
William stalked out, and the pretty
little telegraph clerk ran her nimble
fingers over the files of messages,
chatted with her fellow clerks an
instant, and then took up her place at
the receiving counter. The morose
William came back to say that if she
was afraid the dude would annoy her
when she went home at midnight, he
would send his brother for her.
Don't you fear, Billy" said the girl
amiably. Il amt to be scared by all
the dudes in Christendom. I'm used
to them by this time"
William again departed, and a
moment later a solemn young man
with yellow hair and attire of advanced
cut drifted in. The other clerks glanced
at Betsy's admirer and then at one
another. The arrival took up a tele-
graph blank and said huskily:
Good mawning'."
No answer but slight inclination of
the head and defiant stare.
'Dev'lish pleasant mawnin'-do you
chawnce to have pencil?"
There's one by the ink-stand." said
Betsy, shortly.
Pardon me, but there's none heah,"
said the youth. solemnly, purloining
the pencil and staring hard at the soft
brown eyes through his glass. The
girl got him one; but as he reached for
it the old pencil fell from his sleeve.
They both laughed, and then the dude
was pushed aside by clustering man
who rushed in, sent the following dis
patch "collect" to Boston and with
drew:
Forward a draft for seven hundred and fifty
al once or viii be run in. If you can't raise
the amount, send me s. by telegraph.
B.DF
The yellowed-haired man then hand
ed in his dispatch with an air of intense
Importance. 1t read:
To c. EDGERLY ToMPKINs, DEIMoN1CO's.
ing good thing. c. E. T.
The girl took the dispatch, bit her
lip, and asked after the accustomed
formula:
Your name, please"
&c. Edgawly Tompkins." y"
'Address?"
.'Delmonico's.'
II lCeen cents, please.
This being settled Mr.. Tompkins
withdrew with great satisfaction at the
progress he was making and took up
commanding position at Delmonico's,
where he could be seen awaiting his
dispatch, fortified against ennui by
huge brandy and soda and vast and
corpulent cigar.
Meanwhile, a youngish man with
some pretentions to swelldom, climbed
out of dog-cart at the door and,
wandering desolately into the office,
said to the girl plaintively:
Devils slow in town now, isn't
"Yes, SIR"
"Ghastly," said the man, "all my
friends are abroad. I'm goin' to wire
um."
Betsy handed him a pad of cable
blanks, and after a vast amount of
labor he produced and sent the fol-
lowing:
Pelican Club London.
All there?
I. BIGGERLY.
To SADIE MARTINoT,
Rue de Rivoh, Paris, France.
Yours truly ,
To TOMMY S. wATREN,
American Legation, Rome Italy
Saw your gal in Jimmie Paddleford's cart
today. Great grind on you-hal ha!
No SIG.
After paying small fortune for this,
the gentleman climbed into his cart
again and drove toward the park, look
ing tranquilized and much improved in
spirits.
c. Edgerly Tompkins then hurried
IN and sent message to Delmonicos s.:
Telegram Just received. Your right about
brown eyes. but the effect is much enhanced
10y staving red lips and lovely face.
Miss Betsy took this dispatch and
had just finished counting the words.
when a strongly built man with a
commanding eye and a manner of
great incisiyeness entered. The girl
hurried to the little gate and threw it
open as she asked, eagerly:
Are you in hurry, sir?'
Yes, said the man shortly but with
half-smile at the pretty and half
scared face.
"You can talk right to an operator
if you like" she continued.
Inspector Byrnes looked at the
operator whom she indicated by nod
of her head, glanced out of the window
a+ nd 49,